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Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.
The Telegraph •

Want to cut your tax bill? Giving to Telegraph Charities could be the answer

As the tax return deadline looms on January 31, many are likely to feel the pinch – despite recent National Insurance reductions announced in the Autumn Statement. The nation’s tax burden is set to hit a post-war high of nearly 38pc in 2029, so it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re making the most of all the tax reliefs available to you. The figures, from the Office for Budget Responsibility, show the effect of the Government’s long freeze on tax thresholds. There are things you can
The Telegraph •

‘We planted bamboo in our garden a decade ago – now it’s coming out of the oven’

A homeowner has revealed he was left with a £6,000 bill to remove bamboo after it grew into his oven amid a rise in complaints about the plant. Stephen Neville, 73, returned from a family holiday at Center Parcs in summer 2022 to discover the plant growing two metres high inside his kitchen. The retiree had planted the bamboo in his garden over a decade ago but said in recent years it has wreaked havoc inside his Northamptonshire property, with bamboo tendrils snaking their way into his patio, o
The Telegraph •

Six-figure earners are living ‘pay cheque to pay cheque’

One in four high earners on six-figure incomes are living “pay cheque to pay cheque”, a study has claimed.

More than a quarter (26pc) of employees earning salaries upwards of £100,000 said they had no money left at the end of the month, according to a survey carried out by wealth manager RBC Brewin Dolphin.

Respondents primarily blamed cost of living increases (90pc), as well as rising mortgage payments (38pc) and debt repayments (29pc). In London, 28pc of the 1,700 high earners polled said th
The Telegraph •

SNP calls for devolution of inheritance tax as Tories mull cuts

The SNP has called for inheritance tax to be devolved as the Tories mull cutting or even abolishing the duty.

Reviving calls first made in 2018, an SNP source said “it is high time inheritance was devolved so that the Scottish government could deliver a system designed to meet Scotland’s needs”.

The proposal follows recent reports suggesting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will cut or abolish inheritance tax to win back voter support before next year’s general election.

A group of 50 Conservative
The Telegraph •

Watch: Matt Hancock brushes off rumours he was in Turkey for hair transplant

Matt Hancock has denied travelling to Turkey for a hair transplant and veneers after he was apparently spotted browsing at a clothes stall in Istanbul.

The former health secretary, who came third in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! last year, dismissed the speculation on his TikTok account on Monday after video of him in the Turkish city was posted online.

In the clip, he appears to be shopping in a bazaar and one TikTok user suggested he was “either there for a hair transplant or t
The Telegraph •

Coming to a farm near you... the world’s first manure-powered tractor

The world’s first manure-powered tractor has been unveiled by a British firm in a move that could prompt a green revolution on farms.

The New Holland T7 tractor is fuelled by farm slurry that would see farms become “energy independent” and “carbon neutral”.

Bennamann, its Cornish maker, claimed that the tractor matches the performance standards of its diesel alternative, at a time when the Government places mounting pressure on farms to decarbonise.

Chris Mann, the co-founder of Bennamann, sa
The Telegraph •

Teacher and ex-soldier killed when he fell 2,000 feet in avalanche on Ben Nevis

An “incredibly experienced” mountain climber who died after plunging nearly 2,000ft from Ben Nevis was an army veteran and teacher in charge of outdoor expeditions for students, it emerged.

Mark Bessell, 48, was killed after he and another mountaineer “triggered” an avalanche while scaling the north face of Britain's highest mountain on December 30.

His companion, a 40-year-old man, survived the fall but is being treated for serious injuries.

Nine months before his death, Mr Bessell, who serv
The Telegraph •

‘Ambitious’ drone superhighway plan receives £5m investment from BT

Plans for the UK’s first nationwide drone superhighway, dubbed “Project Skyway”, received a significant boost after receiving a £5 million investment from BT.

Project Skyway is heralding the advent of next-generation aviation by developing a 165-mile drone corridor above Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry and Rugby. It is expected to become the largest and longest network of drone superhighways in the world.

The project is led by a Reading-based UTM (United Traffic Management)

About Me

Internationally experienced and multilingual (English, Dutch and Spanish) individual with strong interpersonal and communication skills. 

Interned for a year as an ESG specialist at the world’s largest tailor-made travel business, Audley Travel (backed by 3i, the listed Private Equity company), and outperformed targets by achieving B Corp certification within a year. 

Gold Standard NCTJ-qualified journalist passionate about impactful storytelling and able to transcribe 100wpm shorthand from dictation.

First-Class BA with Honours graduate from the University of Exeter.

My Latest Work

PA Training •

Neil Garratt: London bus timetables "no longer legally achievable" following 20mph speed limit

Bus drivers feel pressured to meet timetables that are “no longer legally achievable” following new 20mph speed limits, according to London Assembly member Neil Garratt.

The Conservative politician for Croydon and Sutton called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to review bus timetables to cut down on slips, trips and falls caused by aggressive driving this morning during Mayor’s Question Time.

Transport for London (TfL) introduced 20mph speed limits in central London in March 2020 and are now lowerin
PA Training •

Raybel Charters: Community restoration project of a 100-year-old Thames Sailing Barge

Raybel Charters, a maritime heritage social enterprise based in Sittingbourne, won the ‘Best Community Engagement Initiative’ at the National Maritime Awards 2023 in October.

The award commemorates their commitment to nautical culture by restoring a 100-year-old Thames Sailing Barge, the Raybel, with plans to put it into operational use next year.

Raybel is set to transport goods such as chocolate and coffee from Kent to London, offering a clean alternative to shipping powered by bunker fuel.
PA Training •

Germany ranks second from bottom in European happiness index

Germans were among the unhappiest people in the European Union, according to new data.

Research by Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, asked Europeans in 2022 to rate their satisfaction with life on a scale from 0, very dissatisfied, to 10, very satisfied.

Germany ranked second from bottom in life satisfaction with 6.5 points among 27 countries, ahead only of Bulgaria at 5.6 and behind Greece at 6.7.

Life satisfaction was highest in Austria with 7.9 points, with Finland, Poland, and Romania
PA Training •

Exeter residents launch consultation over future of village pub

Neighbours of the St David’s area in Exeter are exploring ways to re-open the Iron Bridge Inn as a community-owned venture.

The pub on St David’s Hill has been closed for two years post the pandemic, prompting locals to contemplate a collective buyback initiative.

Residents have formed a working group to look into the logistics of purchasing and renovating the pub.

Plans include selling shares to community members and seeking grant funding for the refurbishment.

Dan Raven-Ellison, a local re
The Telegraph •

Want to cut your tax bill? Giving to Telegraph Charities could be the answer

As the tax return deadline looms on January 31, many are likely to feel the pinch – despite recent National Insurance reductions announced in the Autumn Statement. The nation’s tax burden is set to hit a post-war high of nearly 38pc in 2029, so it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re making the most of all the tax reliefs available to you. The figures, from the Office for Budget Responsibility, show the effect of the Government’s long freeze on tax thresholds. There are things you can
The Telegraph •

‘We planted bamboo in our garden a decade ago – now it’s coming out of the oven’

A homeowner has revealed he was left with a £6,000 bill to remove bamboo after it grew into his oven amid a rise in complaints about the plant. Stephen Neville, 73, returned from a family holiday at Center Parcs in summer 2022 to discover the plant growing two metres high inside his kitchen. The retiree had planted the bamboo in his garden over a decade ago but said in recent years it has wreaked havoc inside his Northamptonshire property, with bamboo tendrils snaking their way into his patio, o
The Telegraph •

Six-figure earners are living ‘pay cheque to pay cheque’

One in four high earners on six-figure incomes are living “pay cheque to pay cheque”, a study has claimed.

More than a quarter (26pc) of employees earning salaries upwards of £100,000 said they had no money left at the end of the month, according to a survey carried out by wealth manager RBC Brewin Dolphin.

Respondents primarily blamed cost of living increases (90pc), as well as rising mortgage payments (38pc) and debt repayments (29pc). In London, 28pc of the 1,700 high earners polled said th
The Telegraph •

SNP calls for devolution of inheritance tax as Tories mull cuts

The SNP has called for inheritance tax to be devolved as the Tories mull cutting or even abolishing the duty.

Reviving calls first made in 2018, an SNP source said “it is high time inheritance was devolved so that the Scottish government could deliver a system designed to meet Scotland’s needs”.

The proposal follows recent reports suggesting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will cut or abolish inheritance tax to win back voter support before next year’s general election.

A group of 50 Conservative
The Telegraph •

Watch: Matt Hancock brushes off rumours he was in Turkey for hair transplant

Matt Hancock has denied travelling to Turkey for a hair transplant and veneers after he was apparently spotted browsing at a clothes stall in Istanbul.

The former health secretary, who came third in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! last year, dismissed the speculation on his TikTok account on Monday after video of him in the Turkish city was posted online.

In the clip, he appears to be shopping in a bazaar and one TikTok user suggested he was “either there for a hair transplant or t
The Telegraph •

Coming to a farm near you... the world’s first manure-powered tractor

The world’s first manure-powered tractor has been unveiled by a British firm in a move that could prompt a green revolution on farms.

The New Holland T7 tractor is fuelled by farm slurry that would see farms become “energy independent” and “carbon neutral”.

Bennamann, its Cornish maker, claimed that the tractor matches the performance standards of its diesel alternative, at a time when the Government places mounting pressure on farms to decarbonise.

Chris Mann, the co-founder of Bennamann, sa
The Telegraph •

Teacher and ex-soldier killed when he fell 2,000 feet in avalanche on Ben Nevis

An “incredibly experienced” mountain climber who died after plunging nearly 2,000ft from Ben Nevis was an army veteran and teacher in charge of outdoor expeditions for students, it emerged.

Mark Bessell, 48, was killed after he and another mountaineer “triggered” an avalanche while scaling the north face of Britain's highest mountain on December 30.

His companion, a 40-year-old man, survived the fall but is being treated for serious injuries.

Nine months before his death, Mr Bessell, who serv
The Telegraph •

‘Ambitious’ drone superhighway plan receives £5m investment from BT

Plans for the UK’s first nationwide drone superhighway, dubbed “Project Skyway”, received a significant boost after receiving a £5 million investment from BT.

Project Skyway is heralding the advent of next-generation aviation by developing a 165-mile drone corridor above Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry and Rugby. It is expected to become the largest and longest network of drone superhighways in the world.

The project is led by a Reading-based UTM (United Traffic Management)
Exeposé Online •

Single Review: Sufjan Stevens – Reach Out

Reach Out opens to a melodious acoustic fingerpicking pattern that immediately sets one at ease. It feels rustic, unedited, and authentic – reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens’s artistic masterstroke, the album “Carrie & Lowell” released in 2015. The strings foster a degree of intimacy and familiarity with the listener. The sound is light and soft, communicating sensitivity and expectation as the tune loops, ready to accommodate the oncoming vocals.

As Stevens and Angelo De Augustine sing together in
Exeposé Online •

Euro 2020 Fantasy: Knockout Stages

As we reach the midway point of Euro 2020 Fantasy, Online Sports Editor Floris de Bruin has a few insights and suggestions that could help give you the winning edge.

We have reached the round of 16 in UEFA Euro 2020, and with that, the halfway point in the Euro 2020 Fantasy game. Gifted unlimited transfers, an increased budget of €105m but with a smaller pool of players to choose from, you have some thinking and tinkering to do.

Whether you are sitting comfortably at the top of Exepose’s Fanta
Exeposé Online •

Single Review: Rainforest – Noname

For an artist called Noname, her lyricism and political agenda leave little to the imagination. Her latest track “Rainforest” presents a non-confrontational experience of social activism and political commentary against upbeat bossa nova. Noname’s raps are effortless, organic, and fresh; her rhymes flow as naturally as the rhythm itself.

As it starts, the song builds with layers of percussion, each introduced one at a time, quickly forming a cohesive, hypnotic backdrop. Her vocals appear soon a
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